Drops of Jupiter
by maryd
Summary: Songfic w/ vignettes of Kayura and the Masho. Originally posted 4/2000, now w/ edited ending. Please R& R!


Note:  I do not own Yoroiden Samurai Troopers or this song "Drops of Jupiter" by Train.  

Drops of Jupiter

Anubis sat on the top step of the porch, looking up at the clear night sky.  Countless stars twinkled out of the reach of treetops, and in the dark where the porch light fell short, the forest surrounding the little wooden house were quietly alive.  He hoped she would not be late coming home, she had a full day of work and school tomorrow.

Now that she's back in the atmosphere

            With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey…

            Anubis heard the oil crackle and sizzle behind him as Naaza sautéed some ginger.

The green haired cook opened the screen door slightly, the aroma wafting to the porch.

            "Anubis?"

            "Mmm?"

            "Come inside and quit worrying.  She won't be home for another hour."

            "I'm not worrying, just thinking.  What are _you_ doing up so late?"

            "Ah…just fixing a snack.  In case she's hungry."  Naaza spoke louder at the look on Anubis' face.  "Hey, those night flights can take up a lot of energy," Naaza defended himself.  "Besides, what are _you_ worrying about?  She's what, twenty years old?  She can handle herself."

            "I'm not worrying, just thinking."  He looked up at the night sky again.  _Has it really been eight years?  My, how fast children grow._  A memory drifted up…

She acts like summer and walks like rain

            Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey…

            _"Kay-chan?"  He stopped outside her door.  That was most definitely a sob he had heard._

_            "Kay-chan."  Anubis slipped into the twelve-year old's room and easily made his way to her bedside in the dark.  He knelt down next to her pallet.  "Kay-chan, what is it?"_

_            "Anubis-san.  Gomen.  I didn't mean to wake you."  She was sitting up, wiping the tears from her eyes.  "I don't know what to do!"_

_            "Did you have another bad dream?"_

_            "No.  No, I…" He could have sworn she looked sheepishly at him through the dark.  "Anubis-san, can you keep a secret?"_

_            "Hai."  He nodded, wondering what this was about._

_            "I lost Paki."_

_            "Paki?"  He realized what was going on.  "Naaza's favorite?"_

_            "Hai, but you know not to tell the other snakes," she added solemnly in her child's voice.  She sniffed.  "I had left her cage door open to feed her and when I turned around with her food she was gone!  It was an accident, I looked all over for her the rest of the afternoon but I couldn't find her—I had no idea she could move that fast!  What am I going to do?  Naaza's going to kill me when he finds out!"  The tears started afresh.  "It's all my fault!  We're going to starve to death because he'll be too busy looking for her to cook!"  She buried her face in her hands in despair._

_            The blue-haired man looked at her in the dark and tried desperately not to laugh.  At least, not audibly.  Fortunately, the thought of having to live with Rajura taking on kitchen duty sobered him quickly.  "That was very careless of you, Kay-chan," he managed to get out sternly.  "But don't worry, I'll tell Naaza I did it.  And I'll get my wolves to track her down.  Naaza owes me a favor or two anyway."_

_            She looked up at him, eyes huge, and threw her arms about him in relief.  "Oh, Anubis-san, thank you!  I owe you my life!"_

_            "More like your next six meals."  Anubis grunted.  "Now get some sleep.  We can't have your crying eyes giving you away to Naaza over breakfast."_

_            "Arigato," she whispered, snuggling back into her pillow._

_            "Good night, Kay-chan."  He could not stop smiling as he slipped out of her room and outside to the wolves' den.  The Lady Kayura, Priestess, Last of the Ancients, Heir to the Shakujo, Guardian of the Armors, the Midnight Warrior…under all the Youjenkai titles, prodigious fighting power and supernatural guidance…was still a precocious child getting used to working with people.  Her mistakes meant she was still a child, still a human, and his welcoming it, their welcoming it signaled the awakening of their humanity._

_            If they could remain alive much longer under Naaza's wrath.  Wincing at the thought of Rajura's teriyaki for dinner, he opened the gate to the lair._

Since her return from her stay on the moon

            She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey

After the final defeat of Arago, the Reconstruction of the Youjenkai had necessitated their teamwork.  He, Naaza, and Rajura had come to regard the little girl in the Armor of Loyalty with newfound respect not only as a peacemaker, but also as a little sister.  Kayura, the last of Kaosu's line, was a warrior through and through, but she also had some growing up to do as well, now that Arago's unnatural influence over them was gone.  The teenage years were difficult, and it was thanks to the guidance of Yayugi Nasutei that they managed to understand some of Kayura's moodiness.  The move to the Ningenkai after the bulk of Reconstruction was finished was made primarily for Kayura's sake (but they never told her so), not to mention her future, although the three men, hardened by countless battles, privately hoped they would benefit from it as well.  Perhaps, they too, would be able to start over.

Tell me, did you sail across the sun

            Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated…

_The short, slender girl paused in the dark of the porch and shook the damp of nighttime mist from her blue-black hair.  Taking off her shoes, she padded softly to the front door.  She slowly eased the screen and wooden door open just enough for her to slip through and once inside, she quietly shut the door and noiselessly started across the kitchen to her bedroom.  Unfortunately, all her warrior stealth could not keep her from being spotted._

_            "Just where have you been, young lady?"_

_            "Anubis-san."  The fourteen-year old sighed and turned to the kitchen table.  "I was out meditating."_

_            "Keep your voice down.  Rajura and Naaza are asleep."  He paused and decided to get to the bottom of this.  "Where were you meditating?"_

_            Her shoulders slumped a little.  "Up among the clouds."_

_            "Kayura.  We've been through this before—"_

_            "I know, Anubis-san.  But I can't help it.  It's the best place in the world to meditate…It's…I don't know—like I can see everything, the cosmos, the earth…Besides," she rushed on, pleading, "no one sees me in the dark anyway.  Please Anubis-san, I need the time alone and…I miss flying so much.  Please…"  Her voice had nearly cracked before trailing off…_

_            Silence.  She stood still in the dark, waiting in desperation.  Then she heard the sound of a chair being scraped back against the floor.  "Next time you go out, wear something warm and lock the door behind you.  Better yet, use your window, no need to wake me up sneaking out the front door."_

_            She bowed her head gratefully.  "Yes, Anubis-san.  Thank you."_

_            "Good night, Kay-chan…"_

Anubis looked up at the stars again.  He could appreciate their beauty, but could never fully understand what made Kayura actually retreat there.  She told him once it was the best place she could find herself, but there were places on the ground where she could do that.  Anubis knew she held the Shakujo and was unusually mature for her age, but she was way out there on this one.  Ah, well.  As long as she didn't run into any of those flying machines…

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star

            One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there…

            Anubis-san?"  No response.  She tried again.  "Anubis-san!"

            He started out of his reverie and looked at the young woman standing before him in the porch light, packages in her arms and around her feet.  "Kay-chan.  I thought you were flying home."  He took some of her packages and they stepped into Naaza's kitchen.

            "No, I teleported.  Nasti gave me so much stuff—"

            "I hope you thanked her."

            "Of course I did!"  Kayura barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes.  Anubis-san may be her elder, but she was not a child any longer.  At least, not by Ningenkai standards.  "Oh, Naaza-san, Shin found the recipe you wanted.  He says if you can't find the radishes, to try the market on Saki Street.  Shu gets all the supplies for the restaurant there.  That reminds me."  She dug into her jeans pocket as Naaza scanned the piece of paper eagerly.  "Is Rajura-san awake? Shu finally got the name and number of an antiquities dealer for him…"  At Naaza's head shake, she slipped into the white-haired man's room to leave the note on his desk.

            Anubis smiled as he helped Naaza unpack some of the bags.  Kayura and Nasuti had become close friends, almost sisters, and through that bond, the Troopers and the Masho easily kept in close contact through the years.  "Did you see Korin no Seiji there?"  Ever since the Warrior of Courtesy and Nasti had become engaged, he often stopped by her house to visit his fiancée.

            "Hai."  Kayura came back into the kitchen and began rummaging through another bag as Naaza began to stock the pantry shelves.  "But he had to leave right away on family business.  It was a good visit, though.  They finally agreed on the date.  I'll be helping Nasti with the planning after the semester is over—that way I'll finally have some free time to give her my full attention.  This is for you, Anubis-san."  

            Surprised at the sudden change of subject, he looked at the small package she held out to him.  "Happy Belated Birthday.  I saw this and I thought of you… I missed you, Anubis-san.  I wish you could have been there."

            He pretended to be studying the colorful gift wrap.  It would not do to look at her with the tears that sprang to his eyes.  Fortunately, Naaza came to his rescue.

            "Kay-chan, what's this?"  He held up a small book with a vivid picture of a striped marble on it.

            "Oh."  She took it from his grasp.  "He gave it to me to help me with my astronomy class.  I'd better look through it now, before I go to sleep.  Good night."  They watched her leave the kitchen.

            "Hmph.  That was very nice of Seiji."  Anubis mused.

            "That wasn't Seiji's book."  Naaza put in.  "It had someone else's name on it."

Now that she's back from that soul vacation

            Tracing her way through the constellation, yeah, yeah…

She was sitting at the kitchen table, working out calculations for that night's lab assignment, while Rajura idly flipped through her textbook, looking at the pictures.  The things they taught in the schools nowadays…"Kay-chan, how do you say this word?"

She looked over.  "Mars."

He repeated the strange syllable carefully.  "Such strange names for the planets."

"The planets were named after some foreign gods.  Mars was a god of war.  In the dawn, if you know where to look, you can actually spot it in the sky using just your eyes.  I'll show you sometime—it's one of Earth's neighbors so it's easy to catch."

 "At _dawn_?  Ugh, no thank you.  You know mornings are obscene, and I'm content with this picture here."  A thought occurred to him.  "You said Mars"—he made sure to emphasize the r sound this time—"is one of our neighbors.  Who is the other neighbor?"

"Venus."  
            "_Nani_?"

"Ve-nus."  Rajura watched her enunciate and tried to imitate it.  "Named after the goddess of love."

"Ah."  He had found the picture of the cloudy planet a few pages back.  "Can you see this one in the sky too?"

"Yes, but I haven't been able to find it.  I'm seeing the lab assistant at sunset so he can show me.  He says I've probably been looking right at it, but just didn't know it. Mars appears first in the sky, then Venus comes as Mars fades, but…I don't know what I'm doing wrong."  She paused, as if remembering something.  "The planet of love can be hard to recognize."  She said softly, almost to herself.   A wry smile curved her lips.  

Rajura gazed at her.  "I'd better leave you alone, Kay-chan.  It'll be dark soon and you're obviously not done with your work."

She started, alarmed, and began scratching furiously at the paper in front of her.  Rajura left the room for his evening meditation, his associative mind putting two and two together.  

Kay-chan…when had she become interested in boys?  She had never shown any interest in them before.  

 But then, she never had time to be interested in boys.  After controlling the mess in the Youjenkai, all of them were too busy trying to survive and fit in the Ningenkai.  Juggling time and responsibilities between two worlds…it was a wonder they managed to pull it all off, but working together, with some help from Nasutei and the Troopers, they made it, one day at a time.  She was already well versed in the customs and lifestyle of the modern world, in fact she had helped them assimilate, her youthfulness and eagerness making up for their slowness, her faith in them their hope.  They had looked out for her, as she was the youngest of them all, their special treasure.  They were her warriors in one world, guardians in the other, proud of their charge.

            But she was an adult now…mentally she had always been one, it seemed, and now her body had caught up…and they could easily take care of themselves.

What would they do without her?

She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo

            Reminds me that there's room to grow, yeah, yeah…

When was the last time something had struck so close to them?  Hanging upside down from his favorite tree branch, he closed his eye.  If they could not have help in the present, perhaps they could find guidance in the past…

_            Kayura was pacing back and forth beside the kitchen table, looking very troubled.  A steaming mug sat untouched on the table.  He shuffled his way into the kitchen, and dropped into the nearest chair.  "Couldn't sleep, either, Rajura-san?" _

_            "No."  He gestured at the cup._

_            "You can have it; I couldn't touch it."  _

_            "Arigato."  He carefully sipped the tea.  Ever since they had heard about the incident with Korin in America, Kayura had become nervous, unsure.  It was understandable, he mused.   She had been the very last of all of them to receive a yoroi, and even then, her hold on it was tenuous.  The Oni armor only tolerated her as its baby-sitter, not as its rightful wearer.  Also, the fact that as holder of the Shakujo she was supposed to know the most about the nature of the armors (and Rajura knew for certain she did not) must have made her frustrated, maybe even guilty, at the recent turn of events.  Plus, the daily expectation that the Troopers would contact her and demand some explanation of this certainly did not help at all.  He could just see Rekka no Ryo's face now…_

_            "Why don't you sit down, Kay-chan?"_

_            "I can't."_

_            "You have the Shakujo.  Even if that baka were still alive, he could never take control from you."_

_            She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised at his insight.  "Thank you, Rajura-san.  But what I'm really angry about is that I didn't know this could happen.  Here I am, the last living link to the Ancient, and I couldn't even warn them about this.  All of you have better control and experience over your yoroi than I do over Shuten's!"_

_            "We had years to get used to it.  You must have patience."_

_            "But it's so hard, Rajura-san.  I know it takes time, but I find myself struggling at the same time I remember the Troopers wielding their powers so easily at my age." _

_            "Let me tell you a story, Kay-chan.  It's a Zen fable—I don't think you've heard many of them?"_

_            She looked at him with interest and sat down.  Rajura's stories usually had more than a grain of useful advice in them._

_            "A Zen master and his student was coming home late at night to their monastery atop of a mountain.  A winter snowstorm caught them unawares while they were making their way up a slippery slope.  They could not stop or they would freeze to death, and to go on blindly would mean falling to their death.  The only source of light they had were lightning flashes that would light up the trail ahead for a few seconds.  _

_            So they would creep forward in the cold winds and rain and stop when they thought they were lost.   Then they would wait for the next lightning flash to give them a glimpse of the trail, memorizing it and going forward until they felt they needed some more direction from the lightning.  It was a slow and cold journey, but they did reach home all right.  _

_            Later, the student told his master that he was afraid that he would die on that path without ever having experienced enlightenment.  The master sighed.  'Enlightenment,' he said—'Isn't it the sun that lights our days, but wasn't it the lightning that gave us the quick glimpses, letting us find our path in starts and stops?'_

_            'Is that how it is for you, master?' the student asked."_

            _Rajura paused and looked at the sixteen year old, piercing her with his one blue eye._

_            "That's how it is for most of us, Kay-chan."_

_            Kayura sat awhile, lost in thought, as he went back to bed, ready for sleep._

The white haired man flipped off the tree branch and sighed.  He would miss her, most definitely.  Perhaps they could welcome her chosen suitor with open arms.  But it was not time yet.  Not yet.

Now that she's back in my atmosphere

I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' Jane

(Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land)

            _He sat in the dark brooding, worrying.  The soft knock on the door startled him.  "Naaza-san?  You wanted to see me?"_

_            "Hai.  Come in.  I need some spiritual guidance."_

_            The eighteen year old came into his bedroom and turned on the light.  "That's my specialty.  What's bothering you?"_

_            "Meditation."_

_            She blinked._

_            "You know it's taken me slower to recover from Arago," he whispered.  "All this time, I haven't been meditating, it's been so hard to clear my mind—I can't stop thinking of everything I did," he spoke louder._

            _"I know what you mean.  I had nightmares the first few years."  She looked at him for a moment thoughtfully.  Then she seemed to come to a decision.  "We might as well start from the beginning.  Naaza, how well do you swim?"_

_            Eight hours later, he stood shivering in the cold morning air, standing in nothing but his boxers.  The morning sun did nothing to warm his blood.  He looked down at Suiko no Shin treading water in the lake down below._

_            Way down below._

_            Way, way down. _

_            "Jump, Naaza-san!"_

_            How was this supposed to help him?  This was not what he had in mind._

_            "Jump!  He'll help you."_

_            Well, she was not going to leave him alone.  Might as well get it over with.  He could always get her back if this wasn't worth it.  Closing his eyes, he hopped off the ledge and dropped, yelling, into the chilly waters of the  lake.  Strong arms helped him surface and he obligingly let Suiko tow him to shore as he heard Kayura jump into the lake.  _

_            "Well, Ancient One?  What was the point of this?" he asked her as they stood on the shore, toweling off.  _

            She sighed, squeezing the water out of her hair.  "I just wanted to go over the basics about enlightenment.  One, be brave and truthful in your meditation.  Two, look for a different kind of understanding, as different as standing is from swimming.  Three, trust your teacher and friends to help you."  Shin raised his eyebrows pointedly at Naaza.  "And last but not least, it can only happen if you just let it happen. Just as you stepped into the air and was delivered into the water."

Tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet

            Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

And head back to the Milky Way…

Naaza sat at the kitchen table, sipping his latte and smiling at the memory.  Another night waiting up for Kay-chan.  He didn't know if the others noticed, but Kayura seemed to be coming home later on those nights Anubis worked the night shift.  He supposed he ought to say something to her about it…but she had looked especially nice tonight…

            He got up and put the plate he had been reserving for her in the fridge.  He had turned off the kitchen light and had started for his room when he froze, not so much at the sight of the pink light but at the warm soothing feeling as the light fell through the window into the room.  Then it was dark again.

            By the time Kayura stepped into the small lighted kitchen, there was a heated plate sitting on the table.   "Hello, Naaza-san.  You didn't have to wait up for me.  Go to sleep," she smiled at him.  

            He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she dropped into her chair and casually started picking at her chicken tempura.  She didn't look cold or exhausted. In fact, she looked oddly…relaxed.  He leaned against the counter and looked at her expectantly.  "Well?"

            "It's good, Naaza-san," she replied absently.  Something was on her mind.

            "Not the food.  The date."

            He wished he had a camera box so that he could record that priceless look of shock on her face.  "How did you find out?" she finally demanded.

            Naaza rolled his eyes.  "Honestly, Kayura!  Don't leave your journal in your underwear drawer if you want privacy, especially if someone like me does your laundry."

            Kayura glowered at him defiantly.  She really should have made up a fake diary for his benefit.  Years of folding her underwear did indeed erode his squeamishness around female undergarments.  "It was NOT a date.  We just happen to meet frequently."

            "Whatever you say, Kay-chan."

            "We're just friends," she said.

            "But you want more than that."  She looked up at him and Naaza knew he hit the nail squarely on the head. "Come on, Kay-chan.  Admit it.  I _did_ read your diary."

            That brought a slow half smile to her face.  "Baka.  Okay, maybe I do.  But let me handle this my way, all right?"

            He looked down at her and smiled at her…anxiety.  _She must really want this.  If she didn't, she'd be trying to flay me alive for invading her privacy.  _"Okay."

            She breathed a little sigh of relief.  "Thank you."

            Then he grinned, unable to resist.  "We should invite him over sometime.  For dinner.  Check out his prospects, his family…"

            "Naaza…." she warned.

            "What's his favorite dish, Kay-chan?  We'd better start improving your cooking skills—lying about your kitchen prowess is not the best foundation for a marriage."  He only laughed as she chased him around the kitchen table, trying to lash at him with her napkin.  "Hey, I only want you to be happy!"  He fell to his knees, breathless from running and laughter, she pummeling his back gently with her small fists.  "So did he take you to see some dancing? Somehow I never thought of him as a dancing fan."

            She sank down on the floor next to him.  It felt good to finally tell someone about this.  Even if that person was Naaza. "No, he doesn't really know much about it.  I don't want to see dancing as much as I want to do it with him.  The modern, formal way.  In couples."

            He looked at her, incredulous.  The old fashionedness in some ways still clung to him.  "You mean like on foreign TV? Where those women wear those long frilly dresses and the men are in modern formal clothes?  His arm about your waist and your hand in his…"  She nodded.  "And his body against yours?  In _public_?"  

            Kayura again wished he still retained some of that squeamishness about her panties.  "Well, he doesn't have to hold me _that_ close.  But I'd like to try it.  I've read on how to do it, but I need to practice to be comfortable in it."  She eyed him speculatively. Naaza suddenly had that familiar feeling that she had, yet again, trapped him into doing something he did not want to do.  "And since you had the _audacity_ to read my diary…"

And tell me, did Venus blow your mind

            Was it everything you wanted to find

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there.

"Rajura!"  Shu bellowed.  "You old trickster!  How've ya been?"

Sitting at a table, napkin on his lap, Rajura grinned.  "Spry as ever, Hardhead."

            "Still wheeling and dealing?"

            "And at your restaurant too, I might add.  Arigato for that newest contact.  I'm meeting him here, so if you see him, wave him over.  Congratulations by the way.  When's your wife due?"

            "In September."  The younger man grinned and shook his head.  "It's still hard to believe.  Hey, you need to leave afterward?  Touma's stopping by pretty soon to pick up some takeout."  

            "How is that blue-haired wonder?  Haven't heard much of him lately."  

            "Ah, our Einstein is doing fine.  He's attending university here you know.  Going for a master's degree and working as a teacher's assistant.  Last I saw of him, he said he's loving every minute of it—talks about stars all night and sleeps all morning.

            "I can imagine that," Rajura said, thinking of his miserable mornings.  He, like Tenku, was not a morning person.  

"Only thing he hates is having to grade papers.  Says if he had the degree, he'd be the professor.  He sometimes sees Kayura on campus too.  How is she-- hey, there's your man!"  Shu  jovially waved.  Rajura slowly stood up, shaking off the sudden hunch away for now.  Right now a potential client was here…

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken…

            Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong…

Can you imagine no first dance, freeze-dried romance 

five-hour phone conversation…

The best soy latte that you ever had…

            And me.

"No."  Anubis stated.

"Yes."  Rajura smiled.

"We should have seen it coming, Anubis."  Naaza sighed.  "It was his book he loaned her."

"She could have chosen worse," Rajura said.  "And this heads off a lot of potential problems.  Can you imagine having to explain to her fiancé where we go for 'vacation' every year?"

"It's not that serious," Naaza quickly added.  The other two looked at him.  "They're just friends, they see each other almost every day," he added weakly, suddenly aware he was echoing Kay-chan's words.

Girlish laughter came from the other room.  Kay-chan had been on the phone for the last three hours, presumably talking to one of her co-workers or girlfriends.

"Are they…involved?"  Anubis asked.

"No," Rajura said.  "But she does have feelings for him.  I don't know about him, though.  We might want to pay a visit---"

"He doesn't," Naaza quickly added.  Rajura looked at him in surprise.  "I have contacts too," the green-haired cook explained, lamely.

Anubis folded his arms and stared at the ground in front of him, thinking.  "I know.  I'd never thought we'd be having this discussion, either," Rajura added, deciding to leave Naaza alone about this.  Apparently, Kay-chan had already found out about the underwear drawer, otherwise he would have never caught Naaza learning to dance from her.  Really, sometimes the goings-on in the Ningenkai were a lot stranger than those in the Youjenkai.

"He'd better not hurt her," Anubis finally growled.  "I would hate to have to duel with Seiji if I had to kill him."

But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet

            Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day

And head back toward the Milky Way…

            She stepped easily in time with the music, smiling encouragement as Naaza stepped stiffly along in time with her.  "You're doing just fine, Naaza-san."  

            He felt horribly out of place among the sea of dancing couples.  Then he saw Shin smiling at him and--oh gods!--hoisting a _camcorder_!  All right, he had more than learned his lesson now.  Looking about frantically, he spotted a head of white hair and whirled a startled Kay-chan over.

            "Here you go, Kay-chan.  Rajura, dance with her."  Ducking down so as not to seen above the dancing couples, he tried to make his way back to their table.  

            Rajura looked at the tall green-haired man as Naaza's face nearly collided with a woman's behind as she danced into him.  "Oh, poor Naaza-san," Kay-chan laughed.  "He's still a little nervous."

            Rajura smiled as he took her hand and picked up the count of the music.  "Shu tells me you saw Tenku no Touma almost every day at school."

            "Yes.  He was my lab instructor." A hint of a smile played about her lips.

            "Ah.  Is he a good teacher?  or a bad one?  that you had to see him for help every week?"

            She looked down at the floor to make sure Rajura was not going to step on her feet with his impromptu dance steps and then raised her eyes to his face.  "He's very good, Rajura-san.  Not just at astronomy, but lots of other things."

            They danced a little while in silence.

            "We're proud of you, Kay-chan," he said suddenly.  "And you've grown up so fast…it seems just yesterday that we moved to the Ningenkai…" he could not continue.

            "I'm still the same person inside, Rajura-san.  Don't worry, I'll still be here."

            "I'm not worried," he said airily, now that the moment had passed.  "But perhaps you should talk to Anubis.  You know how he is."  

And tell me, did you sail across the sun

            Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded

And that heaven is overrated… 

            As usual, he could not refuse her anything.  Even if it made him look foolish.  Anubis looked down at the raven-haired girl, his hand tentatively on her back, the other in her hand.  "You know Seiji is probably getting a kick out of this."

            "Humor him, Anubis-san.  After all, it is his wedding day."  She wondered if he knew about the camcorder, decided not to mention it.  "You dance well, Anubis-san, considering this is your first time."

            "After watching you put Naaza through that dance practice, day in and day out, I could do this in my sleep.  I can't believe you worked him that hard, though.  It's not as if we're going to use these steps in battle."  

She smiled.  "I wanted to make it as intense as possible, considering I had no idea how long he would put up with me."

"We've been with you so long, we'd put up with you forever, Kay-chan."  He looked over her shoulder.  "Tenku no Touma is watching us," he continued in a low voice.  "Why don't you go dance with him?"

She looked at him with a half smile.  "He didn't ask me."

"Hmph."  Anubis grunted.  "You need to be more polite to that boy, Kay-chan, after all the help he's given you.  Invite him over sometime."

She beamed at him.  "Yes, Anubis-san."

 Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star

            One without a permanent scar

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself?

            He made his way to their table.  Rajura and Naaza were already sitting down, waiting for him.  "Where's Kay-chan?"  

            "Over there, dancing with Touma."  They craned their necks to see.

…Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day?…

            "Gods, he's an awkward dancer."  Anubis and Rajura looked at Naaza--and decided not to comment.  "Kay-chan will have a long way to go with him."

…Did you fall for a shooting star…

Fall for a shooting star?…

            "Well, Naaza, I'm sure she will have plenty of opportunity to improve him," Rajura said.  "In the meantime, Kay-chan will still have us around."

…And were you lonely… 

…When you looked for yourself out there?…

            Anubis watched the young couple, Kayura gently leading and Touma carefully following. He saw Kay-chan's happy face and found for once, he didn't mind the thought of extra company.  "I can agree to that."


End file.
